Page 27 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
“You won’t lose me.”
She smiled. “I will, but that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
I couldn’t argue. With Felicity in my life, things would certainly change, including my friendship with Maisy.
“I’m sorry.” I pulled into the motel’s parking lot and parked by the stairs that led to her small loft above the office.
“No apologies. Go win your girl, then name your first-born daughter after me as payment for my unbelievably sage advice.”
I laughed as she hopped out of the truck. Maisy had a gift for lightening the mood.
“Bye.” She waved and walked upstairs. I waited until she was safely inside before heading home to the ranch. Halfway home, my phone rang.
Jess.
It was no surprise that he was calling. If Maisy had noticed something between me and Felicity, Jess would have too. In thirty-some years of friendship, I never could get much past him. The fact that I’d managed to hide my feelings for his sister for this long was nothing short of a miracle.
“Hello,” I answered.
“What’s going on with my sister?”
“She’s got it in her head that we’re all mad at her. She’s on some quest to reinvent herself.”
“That’s not what I meant. What’s going on with you and my sister?”
How did I answer that? I’m in love with her. She’s in love with Wes, even now that he’s gone. I’m so desperate for her I don’t even care that he’ll always have her heart. Yeah, he wasn’t getting that answer.
I blew out a deep breath. “It’s complicated, man. And I’m not going to tell you until I can work out some of that shit with her.”
“How long?” His teeth were grinding together.
I thought about it for a moment before answering. “Since the beginning.”
“And Wes?”
“He was never the right one. He just asked her first.”
“She’s finally back,” Jess said. “I don’t want something to chase her off again. I want to see her happy.”
“You and me both.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll back off. Tell me this, though. Am I ever going to learn what happened when I was at the academy? Why my sister split the second the ink dried on her diploma, you joined the army on a whim and my other best friend became a fucking junkie drug dealer?”
Jess had asked me those questions more times than I could count. I had finally gotten so sick of his persistence that I’d broken his nose. But his answers could only come from one person: Felicity.
“I made her a promise. It’s her story to share.”
The minute I got home from the bar, I changed into my most comfortable sweats, climbed into bed, pulled the covers over my head and burrowed in deep.
Doubt filled my mind.
Why was I putting myself through so much grief? I could be back in Seattle in a day. I could just turn back and leave. Was this really the right place for me?
Yes.
This was hard, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t see this through.
My family deserved my commitment. Silas deserved an explanation. I had only been home for two weeks and I wouldn’t let one bad night chase me away. Setbacks were bound to happen on my journey but I’d keep moving forward.
